“TOMATO DAY STARTED BEFORE
we had Cornersmith.” Alex Elliott-Howery, co-owner of the Sydney cafe, cooking school and picklery group, is explaining the origins of a day devoted to turning a kitchen staple into something magical.
“Jaimee (now Cornersmith’s cooking school coordinator) and I drove out to Flemington Markets with four small children and bought 100 kilos of tomatoes, then went back to Jaimee’s tiny apartment. It was ridiculous! But we taught ourselves how to conserve all these tomatoes, and two families got through six months without buying any tomato products.
“And that kind of kickstarted Cornersmith – which is using what’s in season at the height of the season, when things are cheap, abundant and taste their best. Since we’ve opened, we’ve done tomato day for the cafes every year. What’s nice is that, as well as celebrating the seasons, using Australian produce and supporting Australian growers, we’re also getting together family, friends and community for a really beautiful day.”
The community element is part of the Cornersmith ethos. “We run tomato day workshops,” says Alex. “People come to the picklery and learn how to run their own tomato day; how to make passata, chuntney, ketchup – all the things that a well-stocked pantry should have.”